Seven Days Till Valentine's Day
by thishasbeenabanadoned
Summary: Seven days till Valentine's Day, seven chances for James to convince Lily to go out with him.


**Seven Days Till Valentine's Day**

**7th February**

It was seven days till Valentine's Day and James had a plan; Just Ask Her. He was going to Just Ask Her, a week early but he would do it nonetheless.

He leant forward in his chair and jabbed her shoulder with his quill, trying very hard to ignore the little voice in his head telling him that getting ink all over her robes was perhaps not a positive way to start.

"Hey Evans, will you be my Valentine?"

It was not, he admitted, the _best _way to go about Just Asking Her but it was not nearly as tactless as she'd said.

---

**8th February**

It was six days till Valentine's Day and James was looking for Sirius. He needed some advice, a new angle, something hopefully more effective than anything he'd already tried. However Sirius was not to be found and he was left with only one choice, a boy sitting by the fireplace staring blankly at a piece of parchment.

Peter was very surprised when James asked him and the first thing that came to his head bubbled thoughtlessly onto his lips.

"Well… You could like, you know… err… suggest something you could do. Together. Maybe?"

It wasn't much but it was enough for him to work with. Suggest something they could do together. Simple. He spotted his fiery haired angel descending the stairs from the girls' dormitories.

"Come on Evans!" He called out to her, "Elope with me!"

Once again lacking in tact, and once again she had no problem telling him so.

---

**9th February**

It was five days till Valentine's Day and James needed another plan.

"Where've you been?"

Finally, Sirius. Sirius knew about girls, Sirius could help him.

"Recite poetry to her." Sirius said knowledgably, "Girls like that type of thing."

He spent the best part of the day writing the poem and the other part mending his damaged ego.

O_h Lily Evans _

_Eyes like the heavens_

_That Lily Evans_

_But she won't date me!_

_She says she hates me!_

_Oh that strange girl Lily_

Honestly, there was _nothing wrong _with it. It was good. It rhymed.

---

**10th February**

It was four days till Valentine's Day and James wasn't taking any more advice from Sirius. No more Padfoot. No more Poetry. Peter would have something useful to contribute.

Once again he was surprised and so, the same result.

"Uhh… telling her hasn't worked so you could just… um… show her like. How you feel and all."

Later when asked Peter denied that what James did beared any resemblance to what he'd said to. And James was eternally grateful towards Madam Pomfrey who could un-blacken black eyes in an instant. Lily Evans, apparently, did not like to be kissed.

---

**11th February**

It was three days till Valentine's Day and Peter was therein banned from saying anything, so it was back to Sirius.

"Well you got me." His friend said unhelpfully, "Poetry didn't work, I don't know what will. I guess you could try giving her a present."

That teddy did not deserve to die. Yes it was pink, yes it was frilly, yes it was charmed to say 'I wuv woo' when you squeezed it's ear but it did not deserve to die. Innocent teddies just shouldn't be thrown into fireplaces.

---

**12th February**

It was two days till Valentine's Day and James was in the library. He didn't often find himself in the library, but whenever he did he was surprised. By Remus J Lupin. Not by the fact that he was there, he was _always _there, but by something. Something surprising.

"Give her chocolates. Nice chocolates that aren't in a heart shaped box. And don't give them to her directly, you don't seem to be much good with face-to-face declarations of love."

When Lily came into the common room and said "Are these from you?" she didn't sound at all angry.

That Lupin was one smart cookie.

---

**13th February**

It was one day till Valentine's Day and James' last chance.

The Moony had spoken. And it had spoken flowers. James gave her roses and she was not angry. In fact she was perhaps even a little happy.

Remus had set him on a roll and given him an opportunity that he gladly snatched before it ran away.

When he asked her out, surprisingly, she said yes.

---

**14th February: Valentine's Day**

It was Valentine's Day and, despite what Moony said, a perfectly good time to panic.

"Oh God. I am going to die. Sirius, you can have my broomstick when I die because I am going to die. Oh God, Moony can you help me write my will because--"

"I know James, you are going to die." The other boy sighed, "Either way you are still going to go on this date, even if it is as a corpse."

"Do you think Lily likes that sort of thing?"

"No. So you had better keep breathing."

"Oh."

"Don't worry mate," said Sirius clapping a hand on James' shoulder, "You'll be fine. Just smile and use that Potter Charm of yours."

"But don't use _too _much Potter Charm and keep your hands out of your hair." Added Remus.

"Why? What's wrong with my hair?" Asked James lifting a hand up to his head. Sirius grabbed the hand and pulled it down again.

"Sorry mate, but Moony's right. Keep. Hand. Out."

"But does it _look_ okay? Maybe she doesn't like it messy?"

"It's not messy! It's… handsomely dishevelled." Said Sirius in an attempt to cheer his friend up.

"I'm sure she doesn't care what your hair looks like as long as you keep-- James! Am I going to have to put a permanent sticking charm on your hand and attach it to your pocket?"

The door slammed open and Peter burst into the room. "Hey, we're leaving for Hogsmeade now." He said, "James you better hurry up or you'll miss your-- What's with your hair?"

James turned a noticeable shade of green and gazed back into the mirror. "What's wrong with it? And don't say nothing, there's something wrong with it I can tell. Oh God, I'm going to die."

---

Sirius gazed over at James and Lily's table from their place in the corner. Apparently a 'surveillance squad' and 'immediate back up' had been required. And so there they were, in Madam Puddifoot's watching couples drink each other's saliva and being strangled by pink ribbons.

"We _could _be in Honeyduke's." Said Remus unhappily trying to untangle some pink crepe that was stuck in his hair.

"Stop thinking about chocolate Remus. There's some here anyway." Sirius shoved the box of chocolates over in Remus' direction and continued to squint over at James and Lily.

"They're _pink _Sirius. They're pink and heart-shaped and that box has _frills_. It's not natural I tell you."

"Taste good though." Said Peter shoving a handful of the fuchsia confectionary into his mouth.

"Exactly Remus. Stop complaining, if it hadn't been for you James wouldn't have gotten this date and we wouldn't be here right now."

"Oh believe me I regret it. I just want to know why we had time to go to Zonko's but not Honeyduke's."

"There's _always _time for Zonko's. Now be quiet, I can't hear what they're saying."

They sat in silence for a good five minutes, Sirius straining to hear their conversation, Remus locked in battle with the pink crepe, Peter devouring the unnatural chocolates.

"You know what?" Said Sirius breaking the silence.

"What?" Asked Peter.

"This is really boring."

"Sirius," Remus said calmly placing the disentangled piece of crepe on the surface of the table, "I could have told you that earlier." He took out his wand and promptly incinerated the pink ribbon. Sirius was beginning to get scared of that boy.

---

James was regretting asking Sirius and the others to come along; he could practically _feel_ his friends' eyes boring into the back of his head. He also regretted coming to Madam Puddifoot's, it had seemed a good idea at the time, but ten seconds upon entering the place, he was afraid that his eyeballs would explode from the sheer pinkness of the decor.

"Nice place." Said Lily politely.

"You can't be serious?" Asked James staring at her as if she'd gone insane.

"No, I'm not." She said smiling, just a little, "I was just trying to make conversation."

"Oh."

"Oh indeed."

"Well, maybe I should give it a shot."

Lily raised her eyebrows, "Oh you think so?"

"Yeah, umm… So… Nice weather."

"Nice weather?"

"Yeah."

"Well then…"

---

"You know, I don't think it's going so well. Lily looks kind of bored." Said Peter after he finishing off the chocolates.

"I'm afraid I'll have to disagree with you Peter, I don't think it's going at all." Said Remus.

"Could you two be any more pessimistic?" Said Sirius in annoyance.

"Yes."

"How much longer do we have to sit here?" Asked Peter.

"I surrender," sighed Sirius thumping his head onto the table, "We have been defeated by the pink crepe and unnatural chocolate hearts. You leave me no choice but to order a retreat."

"Really?" asked Peter excitedly. "Does that mean we can go now?"

Sirius sighed again. "Yes. Yes it does."

"Brilliant," Said Remus happily standing up and heading for the door, "Let's go to Honeyduke's."

Sirius glanced one last time at James' table, "I hope you understand mate," he said, "There was bound to be a mutiny anyway." And with that he hurried after Remus, Peter following closely.

---

Something felt different. James turned around and glanced behind him at where the other Marauders were supposed to be. They weren't there. Strangely he didn't feel angry at all, on the contrary, he felt quite relaxed. It was much easier to think without Sirius' eyes burning holes into his scalp. He sighed.

"What?" asked Lily fiercely, "Are you _bored _or something?"

"What's your favourite subject?"

"What?"

"I said, what's your favourite subject?"

"Why?"

"I dunno, I was just wondering."

"Oh, it's Charms."

"Yeah, I like Charms too, but my favourite's Defence."

"I thought as much."

"What's your favourite colour?"

"Are you going to ask my star sign next?"

"Not anymore."

Lily startled him by smiling. He beamed, encouraged by her response.

"So what's your favourite colour?"

"Definitely not pink." There was a brief moment of silence before they both started laughing.

---

"So, that was fun." He said to her on the walk back to Hogwarts grounds.

"Yes, I suppose it was. I wasn't really expecting it to be though."

"I don't doubt that."

"Promise me something."

"Anything."

Lily stopped and looked up at him, smiling. "Next time, I get to choose where we go."

James laughed and then stopped suddenly, "Wait, you mean there's going to be a next time?" Lily just smiled at him again and ran ahead to a group of Gryffindor girls.

---

"Sorry for leaving you like that mate," Said Sirius, "But we had no choice."

"How did it go?" Asked Remus with concern.

"Well," James said smiling, "I'm not dead."

* * *

_Author's note: The ending's kind of weak because I was stuck for ideas on how to finish it. So ... yeah. I hope you enjoyed it and R&R._


End file.
